The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus for producing two-dimensional images of a region of interest of a subject by utilizing ultrasonic waves.
A conventional ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus comprises an ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving unit for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to and from a subject, a two-dimensional scan unit for repetitively producing data of two-dimensional images inside a subject inclusive of a moving tissue at a predetermined period by using reflected echo signals from the ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving unit, an image memory unit for storing time-sharing images produced from the two-dimensional scan unit, and an image display unit for displaying image data delivered out of the image memory unit. Particularly, in a diagnostic ultrasound equipment for cardiac study, electrocardiographic electrodes are attached to hands and legs of a subject to detect biophysical signals and obtain an electrocardiogram (ECG) and the thus obtained ECG is utilized through ECG synchronous method to display a still image of a region of interest at a desired timing. Also, in a recent ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus, an image memory of large capacity is used as an image memory unit and image data pieces of a moving region collected during real time (during transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves) are stored in the image memory and after being frozen or after completion of the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves, are readout of the image memory of large capacity sequentially so as to be reproduced and displayed in slow motion fashion ("Study of Image Memory System for High Frame Rate Ultrasound Equipment" by K. Kawano et al, Collection of Lectures of the Japan Society of Ultrasonics in Medicine, Oct. to Nov. 1990, pp. 601-602).